BepiColombo Spacecraft:
The BepiColombo spacecraft gave scientists their first clear view of Mercury’s south pole.
- BepiColombo spacecraft is a joint European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) mission to Mercury.
- The mission was named after Giuseppe “Bepi” Colombo, an Italian mathematician and engineer who made significant contributions to the understanding of Mercury’s orbit.
- It was launched on October 20, 2018, and is an ambitious and complex mission designed to study Mercury’s surface, composition, magnetic field and its interaction with the solar environment.
- The BepiColombo spacecraft consists of two main components:
- Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) is primarily provided by ESA and is responsible for mapping and studying Mercury’s surface, as well as its composition and topography.
- Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) is provided by JAXA and focuses on studying Mercury’s magnetic field and magnetosphere.
- Objectives is Investigating Mercury’s surface and composition to better understand its geological history and formation processes,Studying Mercury’s magnetic field and magnetosphere to gain insights into its internal structure and how it interacts with the solar wind,Measuring Mercury’s exosphere (a thin atmosphere) and understanding its composition and dynamics.
